The present invention relates to burial caskets.
Traditionally, the body of a deceased is placed within a burial casket, which may be of a decorative nature, and which may be open for viewing of the body during a funeral service prior to closing of the casket for burial. The funeral service serves an important psychological function for the friends, relatives and other survivors of the deceased, in that it allows the survivors to come to grips with the loss of a loved one, as part of a grieving process.
Of particular poignancy is the passing of infants. Perhaps even more so than with other funerals, it is important for family members and friends to view the deceased infant in an appropriately sized and styled burial casket during a funeral service as part of the natural and necessary grieving process. After an open casket service, the casket is closed and, typically, the father of the infant, followed by other members of the immediate family, carries the closed casket from the committal area to the gravesite, in most instances lowering the casket directly into a concrete burial vault, which in the case of infant burials, generally is positioned about two feet below ground. In order to be appropriate for such transport, it is important that an infant burial casket have a secure closure and that it be light in weight and compact in dimensions.
Until now, the burial caskets provided for infants typically have been simply smaller versions of adult caskets. Typical infant caskets are as shown in a recent brochure of Cherokee Casket Company.
Thus, infant and child caskets, as with adult caskets, typically have been variations on a traditional xe2x80x9cpine boxxe2x80x9d having a bottom, four walls, and a hinged lid, as shown in the Cherokee Child Casket brochure as Model No. 80 Orthodox. Whether the traditional casket is of wood (typically pine, presswood or fiberboard), metal, or other material, whether it is decorated with hardware or other decorative features, whether the corners are square, rounded or mitered, whether the casket is covered in fabric, it will be recognized that in all of its variations, the casket has been simply a variation on the pine box. Thus, the traditional casket has lacked an appearance of repose and peace, giving rise to a long felt need, particularly in the case of infant funerals and burials.
Many modern cemeteries have endeavored to serve the public and more particularly the families aggrieved by the loss of infant children by providing a babyland section in which valuable cemetery space is provided free of charge to the family for infant burial, however, the typical standard infant burial vault (usually made of concrete and placed within a grave for the receipt of the usually less-durable casket) is of limited size, typically having inside dimensions of about 15 inches deepxc3x9739 inches longxc3x9716 xc2xc inches wide. The small size of the typical standard infant burial vault limits the size of infant caskets suitable for such vaults. Alternatively, but generally undesirably, larger infant caskets result in the need for purchase of expensive and perhaps less appropriate adult cemetery space and adult burial vaults.
Moreover, in many traditional burial caskets, the positioning of a body within the casket for suitable viewing during a funeral service involves the manipulation of a mattress support by means of an adjustment mechanism at both ends of the casket, in order to elevate the body for viewing during a funeral and to lower the body for closure of the casket for burial, adding greatly to the complexity and expense of the casket. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,556 at Column 1, lines 46-52.
Efforts have been made to provide a more attractive casket particularly suitable for infants or pets, such as the infant burial cradle disclosed in U.S. Design Pat. No. 346,263, however, that casket has several deficiencies in that the body cannot easily be displayed for viewing during a funeral service while at the same time permitting ready closure of the casket lid for burial. The casket also lacks rocker-shaped feet to complete the image of a cradle and to lift the casket for better viewing of the body during a funeral service. A traditional cradle, such as that shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. 273,154 is not suitable for use as a casket in either a funeral service or burial because the rockers undesirably permit the casket to rock in a manner unsuitable for a funeral service, the cradle fails to provide a cover for closure and burial and, further, the width and height of the rockers prevent such a cradle from being inserted into a typical standard infant burial vault such as is provided in the babyland section of modern cemeteries.
Other efforts to provide a suitable casket for infant or pet burial are as shown in U.S. Design Pat. Nos. 253,975 and 418,657.
Efforts also have been made to provide caskets having modular components see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,337,556 and 4,372,018. These caskets, however, are of complex design and require careful inventory and skill in assembling the many components, many of which may be required to be stored for long periods for repeated use and others which are intended for burial.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to minimize or obviate problems of the type discussed above and to satisfy the long felt needs in the art.
It is another object of the invention to provide a novel burial casket comprising a repository, for receiving a body, with improved viewing characteristics and appearance and a cover for covering and closing the repository.
An additional object of the invention is to provide a repository having supports comprising legs which in one mode will support and lift the casket into a first or elevated position while in a second mode will permit the repository to rest in a second or unelevated position.
A further object of the invention is to provide a repository having rocker-shaped feet which will provide the appearance of rockers while preventing rocking of the repository and still permitting the repository to fit within a standard burial vault.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a casket comprising a repository for receiving a body and a cover-spacer which in a first mode underlies and supports the repository and in a second mode covers and closes the repository.
In achieving these objects, the present invention involves a novel burial casket comprising a repository for receiving a body and a cover adapted to cover the repository.
In one aspect of the invention, the repository has a bottom panel, a front wall with a top, a rear wall and two end walls. At least one of the end walls has a riser extending upwardly from the end wall, the riser having a top which is higher than the top of the front wall, thereby providing improved viewing and display characteristics, while the cover is adapted to adjoin the riser top and to cover and close the repository without it being necessary to reposition the body.
In another aspect of the invention, a casket is provided including a repository for receiving a body, a cover adapted to cover and close the repository, and legs underlying the repository which in a first mode may be extended downwardly to lift and support the repository in a first or elevated position and in a second mode may be contracted so that the repository is placed in a second or unelevated position.
In a further aspect of the invention, a casket is provided including a repository for receiving a body and a cover adapted to cover and close the repository, legs for supporting the repository and rocker-shaped feet having upturned ends and each foot having at least two supporting points to prevent rocking.
In still another aspect of the invention, a casket is provided including a repository for receiving a body and a cover-spacer which in a first mode underlies and supports the repository and in a second mode covers and closes the repository.
In yet another aspect of the invention, a casket is provided including a cradle-shaped repository having a bottom, a front wall with a top, a matching rear wall with a top, and two end walls, the two end walls having risers extending upwardly, each riser having a top higher than the tops of the front and rear walls, the bottom having retractable legs terminating in rocker-shaped feet, and a cover-spacer adapted in a first mode to underlie and support the repository in a first or elevated position and in a second mode to adjoin the riser tops and to cover and close the repository.